Heritage Tourism in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh with its pristine beauty has a myriad of things for travellers of all kinds. And when it is about history buffs, Himachal tourism offers a wonderful opportunity to take a heritage walk and explore the ancient forts, palaces, temples, monasteries, and a lot more. Holidaying in Himachal Pradesh for a heritage tour one can head to Bahadurpur Fort in Bilaspur, Jaitak Fort in Sirmour, Kuthar Fort in Solan; Kangra Fort in Kangra; Jandrighat Palace in Dalhousie; Padam Palace in Rampur and Rang Mahal in Chamba. Moving to the ancient temples in Himachal Pradesh, travellers can explore the Hidimba Temple in Manali; Baijnath Temple, Jwala Devi Temple and Chamunda Devi Temple in Kangra, and Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan. The must-visit ancient monasteries of the state include Key Monastery and Tabo Monastery in Spiti Valley and Chokling Monastery in Bir. Besides this, one can even enjoy a toy train ride at Kalka-Shimla Railway Line, the UNESCO World Site and Naggar Castle, the prime tourist attraction the Naggar town in Kullu district. The castle is a unique blend of western and Himalayan styles of architecture.
Moving to the cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh, the art and craft are diversified which includes the paintings, handloom products, metalwork and wood products. Of all, the prominent ones include Kullu shawls; Chamba rumal (handkerchief); the Tibetan style woodwork sticks, toys, sculpture and more found in the Tibetan markets of Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala; the ancient metalwork like musical instruments, jewellery, smoking pipes, and more found in the museums of the state. On visiting the state for a cultural heritage tour, tourists can even learn about the folk dance and music forms that have a strong Tibetan influence. The popular dance forms to witness when visiting the tourist places of Himachal includes Gee Dance and Burah dance in Sirmour; Losar Shona Chuksam in Kinnaur; Naati, Kharait, Ujagjama and Chadhgebrikar in Kullu; Dangi in Chamba; and Shunto in Lahaul & Spiti. Rakshas, Dulshol, Drodi, Dev, Nritya, Dangi, Dharveshi, Lasa, and Nagas are some other popular folk dance performed all across the state. Along with this, the folk music and songs play a significant role in preserving the cultural heritage of the state.
